The Kid LAROIThe Music chooses one song every week as its Power Pick, shining a light on ONE Aussie song that we think has the potential to be the next big Australian chart hit. Our Power Pick committee consists of Richard Kingsmill (consultant and ex-triple j Music Director), Maddy Rowe (Nova nights announcer), Nic Kelly (Hit Network nights announcer), Ash McGregor (host of Listen Up with Ash McGregor), Kent “Smallzy” Small (Host of ‘The Smallzy Show’ on the Kiis Network), Irene Hulme (radio consultant and host of Game Changers Radio podcast) and Ollie Wards (ex-Head of Music for TikTok Australia).
This week’s Power Pick is The Kid LAROI featuring Lithe with Rather Be. A smooth R&B jam, this banger brings LAROI together with Melbourne rapper Lithe, whose industry profile belies his 340 million streams for his 2024 banger Fall Back and massive 8.6 million monthly listeners.
The song is the lead single from The Kid LAROI’s current ARIA #2 album, Before I Forget, coming straight out of the blocks to stamp his authority on 2026. Rather Be debuted JUST outside the ARIA top 50 at #52, making it a bigger chart entry than all but one Aussie artist with a new single in 2025 before it’s even started its run.
Currently #84 on the weekly Spotify charts, the song has already had some early support from triple j and TikTok Trending as radio gets back to work for the new year. LAROI’s previous album drop A Perfect World is still ticking airwaves across the country at #33 this week on the Radio Monitor Hot 100 and radio should lap up the new tune as the new radio year dawns.
Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter
“This is a sure-fire hit from The Kid's second album, BEFORE I FORGET. It's an open book of a song about his (seemingly) heartfelt regret after the sudden relationship split with Tate McRae last year,” Power Pick panelist Richard Kingsmill said.
“An all-Australian production featuring Khaled Rohaim, DOPAMINE, FNZ and LAROI's kid brother Auz, it's far more polished than WITHOUT YOU but with a similar raw emotional draw. The r'n'b hook is killer, the trap beat adds a depth missing for me on A COLD PLAY, and the clever tempo shift maintains the song's momentum into Lithe's impressive verse. This co-sign will hopefully continue to extend the independent Melbourne rapper's growing international profile.”
PREVIOUS POWER PICKS
It has been a huge summer for Australian music on the radio. Sonny Fodera’s Think About Us peaked at #6 on the Radio Monitor Hot 100 over the break, while Tame Impala’s Dracula also cracked the top 10. Yes Boone’s All I Really Want and Keli Holiday’s Dancing2 have also popped into the top 10 over the last month, showing the strength of Australian music on radio right now. In fact, this week there’s no less than TWENTY Aussie tracks in the Radio Monitor Hot 100.
Last year saw only Tame Impala inside the ARIA Top 50 singles with a new song, but this week Fodera has cracked the top 50 at #48, while Tame is still holding on at #50. There’s even seven Australian tracks inside the Australian Spotify top 50.
After an annus horribilis in 2025, it looks like Australian music is having a far more positive start to 2026 on the charts and in the media. With the Hottest 100 this coming weekend, expect an even greater spotlight on Australian music, with all of these mentioned tracks expected to make a good showing in the countdown.
Is Australia heeding the call to #Ausify their algos after all?
